Jen Cable, Sisse Fog Odgaard & Bradford School of Art at the Knitting & Stitching Show - Harrogate 2019

Jen Cable - Who blazed your trail?

Jen Cable's exhibition "An Ideal Woman?" employs traditional women's  textile techniques in a contemporary way to reflect on society's views of women's acceptable conduct.  In doing so she highlights how such expectations limit the role and behaviour of women.  In "Who blazed your trail?" the depiction of a burnt bra represents an image of empowerment inspired by the protest marches of the 1960s & 1970s.    

Jen Cable - Some day my prince will come

In "Some day my prince will come" Jen is reflecting on the industrious, servile women of fairy tales e.g the miller's daughter who gets to marry the king when she can spin straw into gold and wonders what reward would result from being able to turn bark and petals into cushions.

Jen Cable - So much more to give

"So much more to give" references Rapunzel's conditioning which meant she failed to realise she could use her own hair as a means of escape.  It asks why can't we accept individuals as they are, rather than expecting them to conform to a single norm.

 

Sisse Fog Odgaard - #Unfinished

 
Sisse Fog Odgaard's #Unfinished was an amazing display of six colourful life rafts made up of more than 2,000 pieces of unfinished knitting, collected over a period of 6 months. Sisse cut the pieces and stitched them onto a base of discarded parachutes and covered the joints with a total of 2.5 km of French knitting. Her knitting machine was powered by a lego motor! Sisse hopes to inspire us to let go of preconceived ideas of perfection and to speak openly of the things we aren't so proud of.  "When we dare to talk about our mistakes, it sets us free". You can watch a video of the project here.

Lorna Muir - HNC Contemporary Constructed Textiles

Lorna Muir, from Bradford School of Art, takes inspiration from Martin Parr's photograph collection The Non- Conformists which looks at farming and chapel communities in the Upper Calder Valley.  Her collection is an interpretion of what Charlie & Sarah Hannah Greenwood, a brother and sister who farmed at Thurrish Farm and worshipped at Crimsworth Dean Methodist Chapel, would wear at work, home and for worship. Items shown are envisaged as what Charlie would wear for work and what Sarah Hannah would wear to the Chapel anniversary, a special occasion.

Nicola Green - HNC Fashion & Textiles

Nicola Green, also from Bradford School of Art, has produced her Urban Pattern collection inspired by the Yorkshire urban landscape.  Her pieces, designed for a therapy seting for young people, have a colour palette and texture that it is hoped will have a positive impact on mental wellbeing.